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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27833989">It's Always Been You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Athetos/pseuds/Athetos'>Athetos</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Glimmadora Week 3.0 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, F/F, Fankids - Freeform, Mild Innuendos, Post-Series, established relationships - Freeform, fluff!!! fluff!!!!!!, theyre the best moms and micah is the best grandpa thats it</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:07:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,171</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27833989</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Athetos/pseuds/Athetos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>On their day off from royal duties, Glimmer's family and friends go to the beach for a much-needed vacation - where she falls even deeper in love with her wife, Adora, and their young daughter, Luna.</p><p>For Glimmadora Week 3.0!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adora/Glimmer (She-Ra), Other Background Relationships - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Glimmadora Week 3.0 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2037283</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>It's Always Been You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Say_Anything/gifts">Say_Anything</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24747562">She-Ra: Heart of Courage</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Say_Anything/pseuds/Say_Anything">Say_Anything</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Took a break from I Thought I Wanted This to put out some fics for Glimmadora Week 3.0 - and was honored to once again be able to create something set in Say_Anything's universe, Heart of Courage!  While reading HOC is not necessary to understand this fic, it has many references, and also HOC is phenomenal, so go check it out!  She also did some art for this fic which is amazing - you can find it on her twitter (the_f1rst_n0el) and tumblr (freezingmyblitzballs)!</p><p>If you enjoyed, please consider leaving a kudos or comment!  It motivates me for future projects!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cerulean water lapped at the shore, clear and clean enough to see the sand beneath the waves, dotted with seashells and shiny pebbles, perfectly round and smooth.  The air tasted of salt and seawater, the flavor of adventure, as the sun beat down on the hidden beach.  The cove was neatly tucked away from civilization, several miles from the nearest village, protected by a thicket of white pine trees and berry-burdened bushes.  It would take hours armed with a blade to navigate the natural maze to the bay, but luckily for the Royal Family and friends, all they needed was a talkative Pegasus and wings breathed from magic to set foot on the beach.  </p><p>As a child, Queen Glimmer used to visit the shore often with her mother, and so it was fitting she now took her own daughter there for a day out of the castle.  The blonde toddler shrieked with joy as soon as she touched down on the beach, kicking up plumes of sand with her bare feet.  Ash, Willow, and Aster weren’t far behind her, giggling hysterically as they ran and dove through the sand.  Her wife, Adora, was busy helping her own father, Micah, unpack the supplies they had brought with them on Swift Wind’s back, namely, a cooler full of water and juice boxes, and a basket of towels and floaties.  Catra, Ash’s guardian, was already curling up in the sunlight, the tip of her tail flicking contentedly as she basked in the golden rays.  Scorpia and Perfuma, Willow’s mothers, and Lonnie, walked towards a hut on the edge of the bay, going to retrieve folding chairs and Lonnie’s surfboard, while Bow watched the children playing fondly, his arms folded across his chest in amusement.</p><p>“Don’t go too far,” Glimmer called, “You haven’t put your suntan lotion on yet!”  The kids didn’t acknowledge her words, even though she knew they had to have heard her.  She was sure she’d have to have Adora hold Luna still just so she could apply the ointment on their wriggly toddler at all.  </p><p>Bow approached her, chuckling.  “Kids will be kids.  They’ll be okay for just a few minutes, they can’t get burned <i>that</i> fast.”</p><p>“Easy for you to say,” Glimmer said, poking him in the side.  “Luna is somehow almost as pale as Adora is, she’d be a lobster within the hour.”  She paused, taking note of her best friend’s bare chest.  “Your scars have healed well, Bow,” she offered kindly.  </p><p>Bow smiled proudly, puffing his chest out.  “Thanks, Glimmer.  It’s nice to be able to go to the beach shirtless, for once.  Have you ever tried to swim in a binder?  I don’t recommend it.”</p><p>Glimmer poked him in the side again, this time harder.  “Bow, the doctors didn’t recommend it <i>either</i>.  You could have drowned!”</p><p>“But I didn’t!”</p><p>“Who’s drowning?!” Micah hollered, managing to overhear part of their conversation.  “We’ve barely been here five minutes!”</p><p>“Nobody, Dad,” Glimmer answered reassuringly.  “The kids won’t even go in the water until they have their floaties on.  Luna’s afraid of the deep end of the tub, to begin with.”</p><p>“Are you sure about that?” Bow asked.  “Because…” He trailed off, pointing towards the shore, where a squealing Luna was already up to her waist in water.</p><p>Glimmer didn’t waste time answering him, teleporting immediately to her daughter’s side.  “Luna!  It’s too dangerous, you can’t swim!”  She scooped the toddler up into her arms, chastising her while kissing her cheek.  “You have to wait a little bit, honey.”  </p><p>“But, Mama, Ash said he saw a starfish,” she whined, curling her tiny hands into equally tiny fists.  </p><p>Glimmer scanned the sand below the water, looking for one of the bright orange critters.  “I don’t see one, Lu.  Was he sure?”</p><p>Ash stood a few feet behind her on dry land, his ears quivering with excitement.  “Yeah, I’m sure, Miss Glimmer!  It’s alllll the way over there!”  He pointed towards a spot about ten yards away, in water that was surely over the top of even Adora’s head.  </p><p>The Queen frowned, shaking her head in puzzlement.  “How can you possibly see that far away?”</p><p>“Cat vision!” Ash answered eagerly, blinking his yellow eyes multiple times to drive the point home.  </p><p>Glimmer didn’t dare argue with him, instead relenting and carrying Luna away from the water.  “Come on, all of you, let’s get lotioned up and put your floaties on, then we can look for starfish, okay?”</p><p>Willow and Aster followed her willingly, while Ash traipsed his feet through the sand glumly.  Luna, for her part, grumbled in Glimmer’s arms, but fortunately didn’t make an attempt at escape.  Perfuma and Scorpia had set up a few reclining chairs for everyone to use, while Lonnie inflated a beach ball, standing beside her surfboard.  Adora and Micah had finished organizing their supplies, with Swift Wind nowhere to be found (presumably he was already off gallivanting).  Adora approached her wife and daughter with a newly opened bottle of suntan lotion, the SPF a number that Glimmer didn’t even think went that high - the blonde had always been overly cautious.</p><p>“Do I have to?” Luna complained, all the pain in the world contained in her exasperated groan.  She looked especially ridiculous right now, in her mismatched swimsuit (the four-year old couldn’t decide what bikini outfit to wear, and so had stubbornly chosen to wear half of each).  </p><p>“Sorry, Lu, but you don’t want to get burned, do you?” Adora squirted some of the lotion on her palms, rubbing them together.  “Besides, look, Willow and Aster don’t mind!”  She nodded to the two other girls, who stood admirably still while Perfuma and Bow smeared the ointment on them.</p><p>“Yeah, ‘s important!” Aster said cheerily.  “So you don’t turn red like a tomato!”</p><p>Luna crossed her arms indignantly as Glimmer set her on the ground.  “I’m not a tomato!”</p><p>“You’re not, but you will be if you don’t put it on,” Glimmer teased, holding her daughter still by lightly gripping her shoulders.  While she pouted the entire time Adora rubbed the lotion into her skin, Luna didn’t push either mother away, obediently holding out her arms and turning around when asked, her mother careful to rub between her fragile wings.</p><p>After Adora lifted her blonde hair to rub some on the back of her neck, Luna finally started squirming with impatience.  “Am I done yet?”  </p><p>Smiling, Adora at last acquiesced, letting the girl go.  “You’re free, but don’t go into the water until Grandpa Micah gives you your floaties, okay?”  Overjoyed, Luna streaked away, running straight for Micah with her arms outstretched, awaiting the golden inflatables.  Meanwhile, Bow had finished lotioning Aster and had moved on to applying the goo to Ash, whose tail was twitching angrily - it was clear that Bow was managing to get just as much solution in his fur as he did on his skin.</p><p>A sudden puff of hot air against her ear and warm, smooth hands around her waist made Glimmer shiver.  “Your turn, love,” Adora said softly, kissing her jawline.  Glimmer was more than happy to lean back against her lover, feeling her muscular body press against her curves. </p><p>Glimmer had never really been self-conscious of her body, but after having Luna, she had become more and more aware of her proportions, and the stretch marks adorning her stomach and thighs.  Yet, she could never be too negative in her own thoughts, because Adora was always there to make her feel beautiful.  Whether it was the way she lovingly doted on her in public, or the way she tenderly worshiped her body behind closed doors, she always made Glimmer feel like a goddess, and the best part was that that was really how Adora saw her.  Her wife always looked at her as though she had put the stars in the sky, and no amount of changes she or her body went through would ever change that, of that she was sure of.  Adora loved every inch of her, and because of that, she couldn’t fathom being hard on herself.</p><p>“You look beautiful, love,” Adora said.  “This swimsuit was a good choice.”  Strong hands then massaged the lotion into her skin, tracing the remnants of the Failsafe etched into her chest, and the dozens of tiny scars scored into her stomach and back, before kneeling to rub her legs as well.  She took her time, and once she was done, she sweetly kissed the back of her calf, smiling against her soft skin.  Even though they were very much in public, with their friends and children around them, Glimmer still blushed, overcome with emotion.</p><p>“I love you, Starlight,” she whispered, turning around to tilt Adora’s chin upwards, bending over to kiss her on the lips.  Her lips were warm and inviting, and she could never get enough of her kisses, or looking into her slate blue eyes, or watching the way the sunlight caressed the bold curves of her biceps, and the dips and angles of her toned stomach.  </p><p>“I love you too, Angel,” Adora answered after they broke apart, almost automatically, but all the love in the world shone in her eyes.  It was clear she meant everything she said to her wife, and that her love for her was like second nature, as easy as breathing.  </p><p>“Plus, you don’t look so bad yourself,” Glimmer said with a coy smirk, her gaze shamelessly roaming her partner’s body, appreciating the way her gold and white swim trunks and bikini top hugged her physique.  She then took the time to rub the lotion into her partner’s skin, kissing her cheek sweetly as her hands massaged her abs, admiring Adora’s sculpted body.  Her fingers glided over her countless scars, with the intrinsic promise of loving on them more later that night.  Just as Glimmer would sometimes feel self-conscious about her body, she knew Adora could feel flustered by her scars, but she always did everything in her power to make sure she knew how much she loved and cherished these unfortunate physical reminders of her trauma, and how proud she was of her for being so brave and courageous, every single day.  </p><p>They had just finished protecting themselves from the sun (and openly ogling each other) when Luna came up, wrapping her arms around Adora’s leg.  “Mooooom, we got floaties, we can go swimming now?”</p><p>Adora kissed Glimmer on the lips one more time, before sliding her calloused hand in hers.  “Yep, we’re ready, Lu.”</p><p>They walked to the shore together, where Willow was standing knee-deep in the water, shyly wringing her hands together.  Despite the floaties on her wrists, she didn’t seem too keen about going in much deeper.</p><p>“C’mon, it’s okay, wildflower!”  Scorpia called, from where she was farther away from the shore, the water reaching her shoulders.  “You won’t drown, we got you!”  She beckoned Willow with her pincers, urging her daughter to come closer.</p><p>“Yeah, Willow, just do it like this!”  Luna, with a screech of joy, all but ran into the water, flopping on her belly with a resounding splash.  Willow flinched as water sprayed on her face from Luna’s leap.  “See?  It’s fun!”  She then proceeded to try and dunk her head underwater, Adora quickly wading in after her to make sure she didn’t choke.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Willow said nervously, swinging her arms from side to side.  “Ash, Aster, what do you think?”</p><p>Ash, on his hands and knees in the sand, shook his head disdainfully.  “Nuh uh, no way.  Swimming is stupid.  ‘N Aster isn’t here, she went surfing with Aunt Lonnie.”  </p><p>“Surfing?!” Willow and Luna said in unison, amazed.  </p><p>Glimmer giggled, having waded in next to Luna, brushing her wet bangs out of her face.  “Yes, maybe you can go one day, too.”</p><p>“I wanna go now!” Luna punctuated her shout by splashing the water again with her fists.</p><p>“You have to learn how to swim first, Lu,” Adora said, drifting a few feet away from their daughter, backwards.  “Here, come doggy paddle to me!”</p><p>Excited, Luna swam towards her mother, at first crawling awkwardly through the water, but then righting herself and kicking her legs out strongly.  </p><p>“There you go!” Glimmer praised - just as Luna started kicking her legs above the surface of the water, sending up huge splashes of water right in her face, drenching her hair.</p><p>“Luna!” She spluttered, wiping water from her eyes.</p><p>Adora pulled Luna to her chest as she came within arms reach.  “Hey, be careful!  You got Mama all wet!”</p><p>“She was gonna get wet ‘nyways!” Luna laughed.  “She’s in the water!”  </p><p>Well… she wasn’t wrong.</p><p>“In that case…” Smiling mischievously, Adora lightly splashed their daughter back.  </p><p>Squealing, Luna responded in kind, pushing waves towards Adora with her hands, slapping the surface with gleeful abandon.  Adora returned the gesture, and soon they were laughing and splashing together, shielding their faces from each other’s volleys.  They were so caught up in their little game, that they didn’t notice Glimmer creeping up on them, and she took them by surprise, splashing them both.  </p><p>“Oh, it’s on!” Adora said, and now all three of them were giggling and splattering each other with water, mindful to not overwhelm Luna with their splashes.  </p><p>While they were playing, Willow finally decided to brave the water, and was proudly swimming alongside her mother, encouraged by Perfuma’s cheers of approval from the beach.  She was a much slower - and more cautious - swimmer than Luna, but did an admirable job of keeping up with Scorpia.  Luna, catching sight of her friend treading water a couple yards from her, moved to splash in her direction, before Adora warningly stopped her with a hand loosely wrapping around her wrist.</p><p>“She doesn’t want to play, Lu,” She said.  </p><p>Luna pouted, but quickly forgot her frustration once Glimmer poured a handful of water on her head, and soon they were back to splashing each other, while Micah, Perfuma and Bow placed bets on the “winner” from the shore, Catra and Ash snoozing peacefully beside them, Lonnie and Aster surfing in the distance on gentle waves.</p><p>---</p><p>After Glimmer and Adora had both decided they had had enough water at the moment (and Micah had crowned Luna the winner), they had settled in folding chairs just out of the shade, relaxing side by side as the sun warmed their skin.  Luna, disappointed that Aster was still ‘surfing’ (mostly just clinging to the board while Lonnie guided them) and Ash was still sleeping, had squirmed between them, bored and impatient, but Grandpa stepped in to save the hour by offering to bring the toddler to the tidepool.  It was the same one that he had taken  Glimmer to as a child, pointing out all of the interesting sea creatures swirling in its depths, while she gazed in wide-eyed wonder.</p><p>They had only been gone a few minutes, barely long enough for Glimmer to doze off, her fingers loosely entwined with her wife’s, when Luna came waddling over, something held in her hands behind her back.  “Mommy, I got you something!”  </p><p>Adora sat up, holding her hands out to her daughter, ready for whatever surprise she had in store for her.  To see better, Glimmer slid her sunglasses off, blinking rapidly to adjust to the bright light.  </p><p>“Okay, close your eyes, Mommy.”  Adora obeyed, palms spread wide, as Luna sneakily deposited whatever she was hiding in her hands.  </p><p>Adora yelped almost immediately, eyes snapping open upon contact.  “Ew, what - “ She was cut off as a very green, and very large, frog leapt out of her hands and directly on to her face.  “Agh!  Get it off!”  She slapped at her face, only for the frog to leap out of the way, landing a couple feet away in the sand.</p><p>“It’s a froggy!” Luna cheered, raising her hands joyfully.</p><p>Adora was still sputtering, rubbing her hands in disgust.  “It was yucky, is what it was.”</p><p>“Oh, c’mon,” Glimmer chuckled, “You can handle saving the world, but not holding a frog?”</p><p>Adora frowned, mirroring Luna’s pouting from earlier perfectly.  “It was so slimy, Glim!”</p><p> </p><p>“Just like a booger,” Luna added, as if that was a <i>good</i> thing.  Then, before either mother could respond, she scampered away, running back towards the tidepool.</p><p>Glimmer grabbed her hand again, smiling.  “Poor baby… The big ol’ frog scare you?”</p><p>Adora blushed.  “I wasn’t <i>scared</i>”, she huffed, “I was just… taken by surprise, is all.  I was expecting a shell, or a shiny rock, not a <i>reptile</i>.”  </p><p>The Queen laughed, squeezing her palm.  “I’m pretty sure frogs are amphibians, babe.”</p><p>Adora sputtered, her face turning even more red.  “Well, they’re basically the same thing, right…?”  Glimmer answered her by pressing her knuckles to her lips, kissing each finger until Adora visibly relaxed.</p><p>They enjoyed relative peace for a few more minutes, Glimmer rubbing Adora’s hand with her thumb as she held it over her chest, when Luna returned, once again holding something behind her back.  “Hey, Mommy, I got you something else.”</p><p>Adora stared at her distrustfully.  “Do you promise it’s not a frog?”</p><p>“I promise, Mommy,” she said, very seriously.</p><p>“It’s not slimy?”</p><p>“No, not even a little bit!”</p><p>Sighing, and absolutely knowing she was going to regret this, Adora held her hands out.  “Okay, Lu, lemme see.”</p><p>“Okay… here you go!”  Without further ado, Luna dropped her present into Adora’s hands, and this time, when Adora yelped in shock, Glimmer couldn’t fault her.  Especially when said present clamped it’s claw around her thumb.</p><p>“Ouch!  Luna, this is a crab!”  She shook her hand, desperately trying to dislodge the shellfish, but it hung on tightly.</p><p>“I know!  Isn’t it cool, Mommy?”  Luna was almost vibrating with excitement, her eyes sparkling.</p><p>Holding back laughter, Glimmer reached over and helped detach the crustacean from her wife’s hand, and gently set the crab in the sand, watching as it scuttled away faster than she would have expected one to move.  “Yes, it’s very cool, Luna, but your Mommy doesn’t like those things.”</p><p>Luna sighed, rolling her eyes - she was exceptionally sarcastic, even at such a young age.  If she didn’t know any better, she’d assume that Mermista had been giving her lessons.  “Well, I like them.”  She then sprinted away, skipping across the sand, heading back once again to visit her grandfather.</p><p>“Then you can keep them,” Adora called to her retreating form, still shaking her hand from where the crab had pinched her.  </p><p>Glimmer snatched her hand, and kissed her thumb, letting her lips linger against the tiny wound.  “Does that feel better, love?”</p><p>Adora melted, relaxing beside her wife.  “It does, sweetheart.”</p><p>Five more minutes passed, Glimmer almost drifting off to sleep this time, when - </p><p>“Mommy, guess what I -”</p><p>Adora sat upright, and shook her head sternly.  “No, if you have something, you have to show it to your Mama this time.”</p><p>Unperturbed, Luna turned towards Glimmer.  “Mama, guess what I have?”</p><p>Glimmer hummed thoughtfully.  “Hm… is it a froggy?”</p><p>“No!”</p><p>“Is it… a crab?”</p><p>“No!”  </p><p>“Is it something slimy or that will hurt me?”</p><p>“Um… I don’t think so?”</p><p>That wasn’t particularly reassuring, but she beckoned her daughter closer all the same.  “Let’s see it, then.”</p><p>To her surprise, it really wasn’t a crab or a frog - it was a sea snail, it’s shell speckled and cone-shaped, and it’s body slightly slimy but not terribly gross.  It slowly moved across her palm, tickling her.  “Aw, it’s cute, Lulu!  Did you find it, or did Grandpa find it?”</p><p>“I did!” She said proudly, puffing her chest out.  “All by myself!”</p><p>“Hey,” Adora butted in, “How come Mama gets the cute things, and I get the yucky and mean things?”</p><p>“She asked you first,” Glimmer said, sticking her tongue out playfully.  “You didn’t want it.”</p><p>“Here, Mommy, you can see it too!”  Luna scooped up the snail, and placed it in Adora’s hands.  </p><p>Adora smiled, admiring the creature’s little shell.  “It’s cute.  Have you named it?”</p><p>Glimmer was about to interject, saying Luna probably shouldn’t be naming animals she couldn’t keep, but Luna was faster than her.  “Her name is Strawberry Milkshake and Grandpa says he can get a cage for her and she’d eat lettuce!”</p><p>Well, maybe she <i>would</i> be keeping it, then.</p><p>---</p><p>A while later, Glimmer had managed to successfully doze off for a bit, before being awakened by the kids squealing as Aster and Lonnie returned.  Adora was asleep beside her, snoring quietly, while Catra had finally woken up and was surveying the kids, the other parents chatting amongst themselves, drinking lemonade at a picnic table.  She stood up to stretch her limbs, smiling sweetly when she saw that the kids had been making a…. Sand castle, of some sort.  She walked over, taking stock of their progress.</p><p>“What are you three making?” Glimmer asked, kneeling in the sand beside the lopsided ‘castle’.</p><p>“It’s Bright Moon, Mama!” Luna exclaimed, plopping more wet sand onto the pile with her pudgy hands.  “See, here’s mine and Strawberry Milkshake’s room,” she said, pointing to a questionably sized lump topped with a pink seashell, “and this is yours and Mommy’s room,” gesturing towards a slightly larger clump of sand beside it.  </p><p>Glimmer smiled warmly, her heart expanding inside her chest like a supernova.  “That’s adorable, Lulu!”  </p><p>“I’m making the moat!” Ash proclaimed proudly, his little claws digging a trench around the castle, flinging dirt and empty snail shells everywhere.  “Willow, where’s the water?”</p><p>“Coming!”  Willow called, waddling their way with a toy bucket full of water from the shore.  She dumped the water into the moat that surrounded the castle, almost filling it to the top.  </p><p>“It’s perfect!” Ash said, admiring his handiwork.  </p><p>“Not bad, not bad,” Catra cut in, kneeling beside Glimmer.  “Looks almost as good as the real thing.”</p><p>Ash’s fur trembled with pride, clearly over the moon to hear such a compliment from his mother figure.  “You really think so?!” he purred, the tip of his tail quivering.</p><p>Catra patted his head, running her fingers through his disheveled mane.  “Of course!  You could be a real architect when you grow up, kid.”</p><p>“Whoa, an <i>arc-a-tech?</i>,”  Ash gasped.  “I’m gonna be an arc-a-tech!”  The little boy scampered away from the castle on all fours, running up to the parents at the picnic table.  “Did you hear that?  Catra thinks I’m gonna be an arc-a-tech!”</p><p>Catra rolled her eyes fondly.  “I don’t even think he knows what that means, to be honest.”</p><p>In a rare moment of sincerity between the two of them, Glimmer reached over and squeezed Catra’s shoulder.  “That doesn’t matter.  He has the power to be whatever he wants, as long as you believe in him.”</p><p>Flustered, Catra looked away from the Queen, but a small smile still came to her face.  “I do believe in him.  Always.”</p><p>Before Glimmer could respond, Aster came toddling over, eyes wide.  “What’s this?  Is this Dryl?”</p><p>“No, it’s Bright Moon!” Willow chirped, patting the castle with her hands.  “But we can make you a room too!”</p><p>“I wanna be over there!” She pointed to a slightly crooked tower, by where Luna’s room was supposed to be.</p><p>Willow nodded her assent, reaching for her pail and tiny shovel to add on to the wing, when she realized it had vanished while nobody was looking.  “Hey, where did it go?  Did Luna take it?”</p><p>Because of course, Luna was missing too.</p><p>
  <i>Uh oh.</i>
</p><p>“<i>Blagh!</i>  Luna!!! What are you doing?!”</p><p>Turning around, Glimmer knew what she would find, based off of Catra’s peals of laughter alone.  Her daughter was sitting on Adora’s stomach, giggling as she poured a bucket full of water on her chest, much to her wife’s discontent.  </p><p>“Luna, your Mommy was sleeping!” Glimmer sighed, chastising her chaotic daughter.  “She doesn’t want to play!”</p><p>“But, Mama, she’s gotta grow!”  She pouted as Adora gently lifted her off of her lap, sitting up to wipe the water off her skin.</p><p>Grow?  Adora was already almost six feet tall… “I don’t think she can grow much more, honey.”  </p><p>Grinning, Luna stood up and loudly slapped her chest with both hands.  “But her boobies aren’t as big as yours, Mama!”  </p><p>Catra laughed so hard she fell on her back, legs kicking out and almost knocking off the roof of the castle.  Glimmer was very thankful that the rest of her friends, and her father, were too far away to hear Luna’s words.  She approached her family, not sure whether to be embarrassed or amused, and instead settled for pecking a blushing Adora’s cheek.  “Your Mommy’s perfect just the way she is.  And, you shouldn’t say that word!”</p><p>“What word?”  Luna had a devilish grin.  “Boobies?”</p><p>“That one!”</p><p>“But, Mommy says boobies all the ti-”</p><p>The toddler was cut off as Adora scooped her up into her arms, jumping to her feet and lifting her above her head.  “That’s enough out of you!,” she teased, swooping their daughter low to the ground then tossing her back up into her arms.  </p><p>Luna was over the moon, giggling hysterically.  “Throw me, Mommy, throw me!”</p><p>“No, I’m not gonna throw you,” Adora said, “but I can do this!”  She dipped her head and settled Luna’s legs over her shoulders, before running across the beach, Luna squealing and gripping her mother’s hair as they ran along the shore.  Her heart full to bursting, Glimmer teleported herself a couple yards ahead from where Adora was headed, taking her wife and daughter by surprise as she jumped out at them in a mist of sparkles.  </p><p>Adora let out a loud grunt of surprise, skidding to a stop in the sand, then turning to run back the way she came.  “Don’t let the evil Queen get us!  Ahhh!”</p><p>Glimmer teleported in their path again, but this time tripped over Ash as she materialized.  The tiny magicat barely even noticed, running straight towards Adora and Luna.  “I wanna play!  I wanna play!”</p><p>“Me too!” Chimed in Aster, darting towards the pair.  Willow followed behind, hesitant but excited all the same, if the way she bounced on her heels was any indication.  </p><p>Adora slowed to a halt, shaking her head.  “I can’t carry all of you at once!”  </p><p>That didn’t deter her spectators, three pairs of arms wrapping around her legs, three pairs of eyes looking at her pleadingly.</p><p>“Yeah you can!” Luna admonished.  “You can turn into She-Ra!”</p><p>“Yeah, She-Ra!” The toddlers started chanting the legendary hero’s name, jumping up and down.  </p><p>Adora groaned in fake disappointment.  “But today’s my day off!”</p><p>A chorus of “But <i>pleeeeaaaase</i>” rose up to meet her, and the blonde finally relented.  “Okay, fine, I’ll do it.”  Setting Luna down beside her cheering friends, Adora stepped back, winking at Glimmer as she prepared to summon her sword.  Everyone else had gathered around expectantly - no matter how many times the lot of them had seen Adora transform, it never became any less magnetizing.  Glimmer herself watched in anticipation, ready to see her wife’s alter ego.</p><p>“For the honor… of Grayskull!”  Raising her hand above her head and aiming towards the sky, Adora was enveloped in a golden glow, her body blazing with light.  A ring of magic pulsed along her form, her very body expanding, growing nearly two feet taller, her muscles growing larger, her hair turning to spun gold and cascading further even down her back.  In the span of just a few seconds, she had turned into a literal goddess, radiating beauty and power from every inch of her body.  The children watched in joy, eyes glistening with excitement, while the adults watched in passive awe, but none could match the love or admiration Glimmer felt watching her wife become a living legend.  </p><p>With a flourish of her flexing muscles (a show for Glimmer, no doubt - even if they were married, they never failed to show off to and tease the other) she easily lifted all four waiting children into her arms, grinning broadly as she sprinted away with them, their laughter the most melodic and enchanting sound in the world.  Glimmer felt tears well up in her eyes, overcome with emotions she couldn’t even possibly begin to describe.</p><p>
  <i>Stars, I love her so much.</i>
</p><p>---</p><p>“We’ll have… uh… what does everybody want again?”</p><p>Maybe having Adora, who had the worst memory and attention span of everyone in the group, order their ice creams was a bad idea.  Thankfully, Perfuma stepped up to the plate.</p><p>“We’ll have four baby cones - three twists, one vanilla, all of them with cups so they don’t make a mess - and then eight medium cones - two strawberry, one chocolate, two vanilla, one mint, and two twists.”</p><p>The server looked nervous, perhaps because of fear of messing up the large order, or being in the presence of five members of royalty.  “Do you, um, sprinkles, I mean, want sprinkles on any of those?”</p><p>“Yes to the baby cones,” Perfuma said with a nod.</p><p>“I want sprinkles too,” Adora said quietly.  </p><p>Laughing, Perfuma patted the blonde on the shoulder.  “And on the chocolate cone.”</p><p>After paying and tipping almost twice what they paid for their order, they were handed their ice creams one by one, with the kids getting theirs first.  Asking for cups was a smart decision - within moments, the toddlers were smeared with ice cream, making their hands and hair sticky.  Grabbing a generous pile of napkins, the parents attempted to clean their children off, to no avail.  It was clear - they’d all need baths once they got home.</p><p>“I don’t wanna bath!” Ash complained, almost on the verge of tears.  Glimmer couldn’t help but feel pity for the poor magicat - it couldn’t be fun taking baths when you were covered in hair over the majority of your body.  That said, the boy had vanilla and chocolate ice cream stuck all over his fur, even on the tip of his tail, and she couldn’t imagine how matted it would be if he didn’t wash off once he was home.  “Can’t I just lick myself clean?  That’s what they do in Claw Patrol…”</p><p>“Sorry, kiddo,” Catra said.  “This isn’t a comic book.  We’re only <i>half</i> cat, anyways.  Do you want to be stinky?”</p><p>“Yes,” Ash answered earnestly, with Luna agreeing, spilling sprinkles all down her shirt.  </p><p>Adora shook her head.  “No, neither of you want to be stinky,” she said.  “That’s yucky.”</p><p>“Like the froggy?” Luna asked.  </p><p>“Yes, just like the froggy,” Adora said with a shudder.  </p><p>While the kids were preoccupied with their rapidly melting desserts, Adora wrapped an arm around Glimmer, holding her chocolate cone (with sprinkles) in her other hand.  “Do you think she’ll actually go to sleep after her bath?”</p><p>Glimmer sighed, sinking into Adora’s loving embrace.  “I don’t know, but I’m exhausted, Starlight.  I think <i>I’m</i> the one who needs a nap.”</p><p>Adora chuckled, pulling her even closer.  “I hope you’re not <i>too</i> tired, love,” she murmured, gently kissing her neck.  The kisses were innocent, but their meaning was still clear, especially when her free hand played with the hair spilling from Glimmer’s loose bun.  </p><p>Glimmer hummed coyly in response, tilting her head to give her wife better access to her sensitive skin.  “You might have to wake me up a bit more once we get home.”</p><p>“That can be arranged,” Adora murmured against her skin, before pulling away, any implications already left behind, returning to her frosty treat.</p><p>“Ugh, really?” Lonnie groaned.</p><p>“What?” Glimmer asked naively.</p><p>“You have melted chocolate all over your neck now.”</p><p>Grabbing a napkin from the pile, Glimmer elbowed her lover in the ribs.  “Adora!”  </p><p>Her wife just laughed, looping her arm around her waist.</p><p>---</p><p>Glimmer almost fell asleep for the third time that day while in their spacious bath, perfectly content as soap bubbles filled the tub, and the warm water caressed her tan skin.  She leaned back against Adora’s chest, her strong legs on either side of her, her calloused hands massaging her scalp as she rubbed shampoo into her lilac hair.  Her eyelids fluttered as her wife scratched the back of her head with her blunt nails, every muscle feeling like honey as she melted into her embrace, ready to doze off until the water was lukewarm and Adora’s muscles cramped from their position.  She had just barely closed her eyes, when - </p><p>
  <i>Splash!</i>
</p><p>She jolted awake, bashing her head against Adora’s chin.  Luna emerged from the end of the tub, flicking water everywhere as she coughed, soap suds clinging to her peachy hair and cheeks.  She moved towards her daughter, flipping her hair out of her eyes and rubbing her back and she coughed up water.</p><p>“Are you okay honey?!  What happened?”</p><p>After another moment of spluttering, her breathing stabilized, and the toddler growled in frustration.  “Slipp’ry!”</p><p>Adora reached onto the ledge to grab a bottle of shampoo.  “C’mere, Lulu, let’s wash your hair too and then you can head to bed, okay?”</p><p>“I don’t wanna go to bed,” Luna grumbled, but she paddled over nonetheless, sitting on Adora’s lap, letting her mother soap up her hair, while Glimmer rinsed her own.  She held a hand over Luna’s face so she didn’t get shampoo in her eyes while Adora rinsed her hair, planting soft kisses against the top of both of her love’s heads.</p><p>Surprisingly, Luna let them dry her off with a towel after they got out, but while Adora reached for her She-Ra themed pajamas, Luna threw the cloth off and ran down the hall butt-naked, her footsteps <i>plapping</i> against the floor.  Not for the first time, nor the last, Glimmer was thankful that their rooms were connected, and separated from the rest of the castle, so servants weren’t left to chase the Princess through the palace.  As it was, it still took multiple tries to snatch up their daughter - she was fast, and sneaky, and <i>slippery</i>.</p><p>“I got you!” Glimmer said, holding her tightly so she couldn’t escape again.  “C’mon, Luna, it’s bedtime.”</p><p>“But, Mama - “</p><p>“No ‘but’s, Lu,” Adora said firmly.  “You gotta go to sleep.  Let’s get you into your PJ’s, okay?”</p><p>Sighing, as though she had just had the longest, hardest day in the world, Luna caved, letting her moms button up her nightshirt and slip her into her pants, both of which were hand stitched by her Aunt Castaspella.  It was a miracle they still fit, as Luna was growing so fast, half her wardrobe was too small within weeks.  Their little girl crawled into bed, throwing back her night sky patterned blankets, and grabbed her stuffed owl, the same one Glimmer had cuddled with as a child, that had been sewn as good as new thanks to Micah. </p><p>“Can you please tell me bedtime story?” Luna pleaded, gripping Kowl the owl tightly.</p><p>“Of course, sweet pea,” Glimmer responded, pulling the quilts up to Luna’s chin.  “Which one do you want to hear?”</p><p>She waited for an answer, but didn’t receive one.  “Lu?”</p><p>Adora chuckled quietly, wrapping her arms around Glimmer from behind.  “She’s already asleep, baby.  Listen.”  Sure enough, the four year old was snoring, just loud enough for them to hear.</p><p>Glimmer sighed in relief.  “Oh, thank the Stars, I was afraid she’d be up half the night…”</p><p>Adora kissed just below her ear.  “Naw, I think we tired her out pretty good.  She’ll be up at six am like clockwork, though, I just know it.”</p><p>The two Queens quietly left and shut the door to Luna’s room, their arms immediately snaking around each other once they were in the hallway.  </p><p>“I love you so much, Glim,” Adora murmured, her hands rubbing her partner’s shoulders.</p><p>“To the moon and back, ‘Dora,” Glimmer whispered, planting impassioned kisses against her jaw.  “I must be the luckiest woman in the world… I have the most adorable, perfect daughter, and the sweetest, most beautiful wife…”</p><p>Adora rocked them gently from side to side, stroking her hair, while she tilted her chin to give Glimmer better access to her neck.  “You’re everything, My Love… I…” She trailed off.</p><p>Glimmer leaned back to survey her face, shocked to find tears glistening in her eyes.  “Oh, honey, what’s wrong?”</p><p>“Nothing,” Adora said, smiling.  “It’s just, I… I never thought I could have a family of my own. In the Horde, I had <i>no one</i>, and now, I have you, and Luna, and your father, and... “ A single tear spilled down her cheek.  “And now I have <i>everything</i>.”</p><p>Pulling the blonde down, Glimmer kissed both her eyes, brushing her tears away with her thumb.  “Oh, Starlight… you’re <i>our</i> everything.  I could never have picked anyone else to raise my child with… to share a <i>kingdom</i> with… It’s always been you, you, <i>you,</i> baby.”</p><p>Their lips locked together, moving slowly and sweetly, as they held each other tightly.  They didn’t need words to communicate how much they meant to each other, and how deeply they cared for one another’s souls.  And as the moons rose over Bright Moon that night, their hearts rose with them.</p>
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